Heavy Snow Over 15cm in Central Region... Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Activated Level 1 'Caution'

On the 9th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety activated Level 1 of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at 10 a.m. and raised the heavy snow crisis alert level from ‘Interest’ to ‘Caution’ following the issuance of a heavy snow warning centered on the metropolitan area and other central regions.

On the 9th, when a heavy snow warning was issued across Seoul, foreigners were moving while being covered in snow at Gwanghwamun Intersection in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, snowfall of 5?10 cm is expected in the metropolitan area on the 9th and 10th, 5?15 cm in the Gangwon region (20 cm in mountainous areas), 5?15 cm in the Chungcheong region, 3?8 cm in the Jeolla region, 5?10 cm in the Gyeongsang region, and 3?8 cm in the mountainous areas of Jeju Island, with some places forecasted to receive more than 15 cm of snow.

Accordingly, the head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of the Interior and Safety, Sang-min Lee) urged focused management measures to prevent damage caused by the heavy snow.

First, as heavy snowfall is expected until tomorrow (the 10th), he requested continuous snow removal operations according to snowfall and road surface conditions to ensure no problems occur during commuting hours. He also instructed that snow removal boxes placed in alleys, bridges, and parks be replenished frequently so that anyone can use them, and that de-icing agents be divided and stocked additionally where needed.

The head of the headquarters stated, “The government and local governments will promptly carry out follow-up snow removal on side roads, sidewalks, and alleys to thoroughly prevent safety accidents such as pedestrian falls,” and added, “We ask the public to continuously check weather warnings and traffic conditions and to follow safety guidelines such as reducing vehicle speed on snowy and icy roads.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.